August 2013 – A’Level Results What Next ?

1. August 2013 – A’Level Results What Next ? Some guidance for Year 13s and parents.

2. Click Which Category You Are… • You HAVE achieved your grades for university. • You have NOT achieved the grades for university.

3. Well Done ! • You have achieved or exceeded the grades to get in to the university of your choice ! Congratulations from all the staff and Governors here at the National Academy ! • This will be confirmed by UCAS on Track as soon as their system is FULLY updated ( in 2012 this took several hours in to results day, so be patient – not all students records are updated at the same time) • You will hear from the university you accepted as your firm offer by post a few days after UCAS confirm you are accepted. If for some reason you don’t, phone your Admissions Department of your chosen university. Remember to have your personal ID number ready. • Other useful people to talk to…

4. You have NOT achieved the grades you needed for your two chosen universities… • DON’T PANIC ! HERE ARE YOUR MAIN OPTIONS…. • Apply for a different course and / or university through UCAS “Clearing” to go to university Autumn 2013 • Take a Gap Year and re-apply to uni for autumn 2014 entry. • Repeat Year 13.

5. Option 1 – UCAS Clearing • Once you have been declined by ALL your offers ( and occasionally this can take a couple of days ), UCAS show you AUTOMATICALLY that you are eligible for Clearing by giving you a clearing number on your “Track” screen. • You use the UCAS website to search all courses with places in Clearing ( they add a new search button on the student home page after you log in ).

6. Option 1 – UCAS Clearing • Once you see a course, you have to PHONE the uni admissions team ( be patient on the first day and just keep hitting “re-dial” ! • Have your Clearing number AND UCAS Personal ID number ready to tell them. • Try and have read about the course details on their uni website, and have some good reasons to tell them as to WHY you really want to go on their course and why you’ll make a good addition to their university.

7. Option 1 – UCAS Clearing • Also – ask them what sort of accommodation you’ll need to be applying for, and if they’ll need to see copies of your exam certificates and when. • If the agree to offer you a place, they’ll tell you. • You then need to wait a few hours ( in the first couple of days the UCAS systems are very overloaded ) for the Uni to add their offer to your ucas application. • Therefore, keep checking your “Track” status screen. • Once the offer is on there ACCEPT it firmly. • Well Done ! • You can watch a UCAS 2 minute video about clearing and what to do after exam results by clicking the weblink below – • http://www.ucas.tv/ucas/video/hD3Cs

8. Option 2 – Gap Year – WORK • If you are very close to the number of UCAS points you need OR have not got in for a course such as Medicine / Dentistry or Vet Medicine – universities regard RELEVANT work experience as very impressive when you re-apply for the course in 2014. • Gap years where you simply “Travel” do not impress as much, you need to have worked your way through different countries for the experience to hold any value.

9. Option 2 – Gap Year – WORK • As well as visiting our local Connexions office in Hucknall to get advice about work and vacancies, you can also contact these organisations ( maybe even do some research on these in tutor time in the last couple of weeks of term, or in the summer vacation ) • Year in Industry (Work placements) www.yini.org.uk • Year Out Group (Over 35 gap year providers) www.yearoutgroup.org • FCO (Hot spots and safe travel advice) www.fco.gov.uk/travel • Gapyear.com (Just start here for gap info!) www.gapyear.com

10. Option 2 – Gap Year – WORK • Advice about careers for school leavers can be obtained by a careers interview with “Futures Nottingham” ( used to be Connexions) • Contact them FIRST using the numbers below to get an appointment for a meeting. They should also be able to give basic advice to parents and students over the phone. • http://www.futuresnn.co.uk/about-us/contact-us/ • Address:Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Futures Ltd, 2A Sherwood Rise, Nottingham. NG7 6JNTelephone: 0115 960 1597Fax: 0115 960 1599Email:info@futuresnn.co.uk

11. Option 2 – Gap Year, WORK, Apprenticeships • Ashfield / Hucknall Connexions • Weblink : http://www.futuresnn.co.uk/about-us/contact-us/ Local Job Search webink – find out about Job and Apprenticeship Opportunities for those aged 18 plus http://www.sortitonline.com/work-and-training/

12. Option 3 – Repeat Year 13 • If you are thinking of doing this, you need to talk to / e-mail Mr Wall and / or Mr Jones to discuss what you are aiming to do when you leave school; your current grades and why you feel you got them; subject choices for which courses you will be doing upon your return ( you MUST do a minimum of 3 courses ). • Contact us via on : • kwall@nationalce-ac.org.uk • sjones@nationalce-ac.org.uk • aetches@nationalce-ac.org.uk

13. Other useful people to talk to… • Your parents and family. • Your Form Tutor and the Post 16 Team. • Our Careers advisor : Mrs Fairhall ( was Mrs Smith) • psmith@nationalce-ac.org.uk • Good Luck !